Due to its popular demand, coordinators of the KwaZulu-Natal Manufacturing Indabahave made a strategic decision to extend the event over two full days. This will enable stakeholders in the KwaZulu-Natal manufacturing arena to assemble, network with industry specialists and showcase their products and services in a bid to further develop the region’s manufacturing industry.

The KwaZulu-Natal Manufacturing Indaba has announced its agenda which includes a dynamic offering of engaging sessions covering an extensive range of ground-breaking topics, conveyed through comprehensive panel discussions. Such dialogues will be led by industry experts, investors, policy makers and government representatives. These interactive and collaborative discussions are set to unleash profound acuities that will ultimately pave the way for a more advanced and globally competitive manufacturing arena, not only across the KwaZulu-Natal province but South Africa in its entirety.

Contributing approximately 16.0% to South Africa’s GDP, KwaZulu-Natal is documented as the country’s second largest provincial economy, following that of Gauteng. The region boasts two of Africa’s busiest and largest ports, Durban and Richards Bay. In addition, it has the third highest export propensity and the second highest level of industrialisation in the country. Moreover, the province is strategically located on world trade routes, thereby providing fluent access to major global markets, such as South America, Europe and the Far East. These statistics stand testament to the region’s profound impact on the nation’s manufacturing sector by large, subsequently underpinning the significance of developing KwaZulu-Natal’s industrialists.

Industry leaders will impart their expert knowledge on how to proactively manage Industry 4.0 and IoT in an effort to stay ahead of the curve. In light of this disruptive technological revolution, the event intends to address and appease heightened concerns of industry players relating to their job-security and career paths in the event of adopting progressive manufacturing methodolgies. Manufacturing experts will discuss how adopting innovation can positively impact job creation through establishing new career alternatives and economic diversification opportunities.

In its quest to grow manufacturers within the province, the conference will host informative dialogues led by industry visionaries who will reveal how the government and private sector plan to collaborate to review policies concerning the core training of employees by both up-skilling and re-skilling the Sub-Sahara African workforce to fully capitalise on impending technological innovations. Furthermore, well-versed manufacturers will share their expertise on opportunity development and management of imminent threats facing the province whilst proactively implementing strategies to safeguard its competitive advantage and boost provincial profits through the digitalisation of manufacturing technologies.

The conference will host forums on attracting funding for the province’s manufacturing sector. Debates will delve into how industry professionals can access capital and secure finance to develop their businesses. These discussions will explore funding options to boost investment in the region’s manufacturing facilities, subsequently assisting them to initiate and execute potential projects. Several requirements must be met by candidates in order for enterprises to secure access to these funding initiatives and such insightful panels will serve as platforms to inform potential applicants thereof.

The event comprising a conference and an exhibition, is expected to make a long-lasting and positive impact on provincial manufacturing communities by enabling attendees to identify significant participants, speakers, financiers, influencers and leaders, thereby giving them the means to not only survive, but prosper in this highly competitive sector. Attending this event affords participants with the quintessential knowledge to develop advanced solutions and business models to grow competitive and sustainable manufacturing businesses within KwaZulu-Natal, ultimately contributing to the nation’s economic growth.